Bring It On Like El Alamein Eps. 8

In the heat of battle, the 2nd New Zealand Division charged the western slopes of Ruweisat Ridge, while the Indian 5th Brigade made cautious advances on the eastern side. But wait, there's more!

By 07:00, word finally reached the 2nd Armoured Brigade, kickstarting their northwest movement. Despite two regiments getting tangled in a minefield, the third joined forces with the Indian 5th Infantry Brigade, bolstering their attack. With armored support and artillery backing, the Indians secured their objectives by early afternoon.

Meanwhile, the 22nd Armoured Brigade found itself in a tango with the 90th Light Division and the Ariete Armoured Division at Alam Nayil. Though they swatted away the Axis advance with ease, they couldn't waltz north to aid the New Zealanders' flank.

Noticing the heat on the Italian divisions, Rommel summoned German reinforcements to Ruweisat. By 15:00, they were in place under Lieutenant-General Walther Nehring. At 17:00, Nehring unleashed his counter-attack. The New Zealanders, lacking support and ammo, faced overwhelming odds. Captain Charles Upham even snagged a second Victoria Cross for his heroic feats before being captured.

Come dawn on July 16, Nehring launched another assault. The Indians dug in, prepped their anti-tank defenses, and rallied artillery support. The Axis advance was repelled, leaving behind a graveyard of tanks, armored cars, and anti-tank guns.

In just three days, the Allies snagged over 2,000 Axis prisoners, mostly from the Italian Brescia and Pavia Divisions. But it wasn't all smooth sailing; the New Zealanders suffered 1,405 casualties. The battles at Tel el Eisa and Ruweisat forced Rommel's hand, leading to the destruction of three Italian divisions and a desperate redeployment of Axis forces.